A new centre featuring a play area, gardens, a recording studio and therapy rooms for vulernable children in York has been approved.
The Island, in New Lane, Huntington, is set to offer children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds opportunities to play, socialise and learn skills and receive mentoring, plans stated.
The Island charity stated it would offer state-of-the-art facilities to help young people realise their potential following a decline in youth clubs and other services in recent years.
The charity’s application stated its plans for the almost 4ha site had been drawn up with input from young people, its staff and mentors.
It has resulted in a hub featuring a sports hall, café, meeting rooms, and spaces for performances, music and therapy.
The hub, which is designed to resemble a farm building, will be on a site featuring an outdoor gym, play area, meadows, planting space and a sensory garden.
It would create a new home for the charity which has helped more than 3,000 young people in York since its foundation in 2007, according to the plans.
Plans stated the organisation’s expansion and cut backs to local youth services in line with national trends over the last decade or more meant a larger site was needed.
Figures included in the charity’s application stated 11 of the 12 youth clubs that existed in York 10 years ago have now closed.
The charity stated high commercial rents prompted their decision to build their own site from scratch.
Plans stated: “This is a critical time for the youth sector, youth provision across the city has diminished and existing services are struggling.
“The Island is providing an exemplary and essential service that supports children whose wellbeing is in danger, by providing positive role models.
“We intend to build a state-of-the-art space that will provide the nucleus for youth mentoring provision across York.
“The space we are creating will help define the future of our city, talented young people will be in an environment where they can explore and realise their potential, whilst providing support, friendship and inspiration to their peers.”